


Got My Heartbeat Skipping Down 16th Avenue

by closetbidisaster



Series: Fics inspired by songs [20]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, New York
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21585259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closetbidisaster/pseuds/closetbidisaster
Summary: He got my heartbeatSkipping down 16th avenueGot that, oh! I meanWanna see what's under that attitudeOrSoft, in love college Kellex to be thankful for
Relationships: Alex Morgan/Kelley O'Hara, Allie Long/Bati, Tobin Heath/Christen Press
Series: Fics inspired by songs [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1516991
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from I Think He Knows by Taylor Swift
> 
> Song suggestion from @OmfgUWU
> 
> Enjoy!

To say she missed Kelley was an understatement. The older girl was in Georgia for Thanksgiving, while Alex was stuck in New York doing lab work over break. They had seen each other on Tuesday; the younger girl had taken Kelley to the airport for her flight home after the two had lunch together. The older girl had kissed her cheek with a promise to call when she landed and a reminder that she would be back on Sunday. Alex had been invited to the O’Hara family Thanksgiving, but she had had to decline due to school obligations.

Their apartment was too quiet, too empty. Alex was always in awe of just how big of a part of her life Kelley was, though she suspected the older girl had some idea. As she locked the door and started walking towards campus, her eyes trained on the ground and she attempted to focus on the music flowing through her headphones. She was quickly distracted, counting her steps and wishing there was a second set of feet next to hers as she made this journey. She would follow the older girl anywhere, and all of their friends knew it too.

After all, that _is_ how they ended up together in the first place, back during her freshman year. A drunken night at some frat party, a drunk kiss because of a dare, an offer to take her home, and waking up next to each other had the two in a relationship at warp speed, but it worked. Alex still remembered, before she got too drunk, Kelley sitting on the couch with a few friends, clutching a beer bottle and telling some story that was likely only half true. She remembered getting lost in the older girl’s movements, her mind drifting and wondering it would be like to feel her hands on her body, to feel her lips against hers. 

She remembered not being upset when one of their friends (fairly certain it was Rose or Mal) daring the two of them to kiss. She remembered Kelley making sure she was comfortable with the dare before proceeding, the way their lips moved so in sync. The way the older girl looked into her eyes had pulled her in, intrigued her. When Kelley had offered to take her home, she quickly agreed. She was slightly disappointed when she discovered the older girl had meant that she would take her back to her dorm, but that was quickly turned around when she invited the freckled girl inside. Her roommate was gone (probably spending the night with her girlfriend), so she had the room to herself. 

She had pulled Kelley inside her room by her collar and pushed her down on her bed. The older girl had laughed and asked just how long she expected that position to last. The younger one had smirked and told her that she was a forward, after all, used to being on top. The freckled girl had smirked back and quickly flipped them. They had spent the rest of the night fighting for the upper hand. It had been the best night either of them had had in a long time.

The two started quietly seeing each other. It was mostly physical for the first two weeks. The taller brunette had felt like she was back in high school, sneaking out to see the older girl. They started dating three weeks after sleeping together for the first time. Alex was attracted to Kelley’s personality, and the older girl’s physical attractiveness definitely did not hurt. The hazel-eyed girl radiated frat boy/fuck boy energy to those who didn’t know her or only saw her at frat parties. 

But, Alex knew the truth to Kelley O’Hara.

She knew what lay underneath the “frat daddy” persona. She saw a hint of it that first night, and every night since, she saw a little more. She saw the truth to Kelley’s personality on their first official date, walking hand in hand down 16th Avenue. She saw it in the way the older girl grabbed her hand as soon as they started walking down the sidewalk. She saw it in the way Kelley walked slightly in front of her, guiding her and showing her protectiveness. She saw it in the way she pulled open the doors for Alex and the way she kissed her at the end of the night.

It had been pretty obvious to everyone just how much Alex liked her. She had an affinity for getting lost in the other girl, always distracted by her hazel eyes or the freckles dusting her face. She was pretty sure Kelley had caught on within a week of them sleeping together for the first time. It was only confirmed when the older girl teased her for always staring at her. But she hadn’t really cared that she had been caught; she knew Kelley felt the same.

As she approaches her lab, her mind wanders to think about how far the two of them had come in their three-year relationship.

* * *

_They had been dating for over a year now. Alex still lived in a dorm on campus, not being able to afford to live off-campus quite yet. Kelley had an apartment that she lived in with Christen, Tobin, and Allie. It was expected that Alex would move in the next school year, especially since she practically lived there already. She spent most nights there, falling asleep curled up next to Kelley. Her roommate was more than okay with it, it gave her time to have her boyfriend over._

_It had taken her a while to get used to automatically feeling comfortable here. In the beginning, she often felt like she was intruding even though Kelley insisted that everyone liked having the younger girl around and she was already friends with Christen, having shared a dorm with her freshman year._

**_“Yes, even Allie. Yes, even though she always complains about fifth wheeling. She’s just missing Bati.”_ **

**_“Are you sure?”_ **

**_“Positive. Now come here and cuddle me while we watch Disney movies.”_ **

_Alex had eventually learned to be comfortable, to make herself at home. She would spend her mornings making coffee and breakfast for the girls. She would watch Christen send Tobin off with a kiss and handing her something she had forgotten (usually a shoe). She and Christen would clean the kitchen and talk about classes. Christen would leave after giving her a hug and yelling towards Kelley’s room to ensure the hazel-eyed girl was actually awake. Alex was usually about halfway through her crossword when Kelley would come out of her bedroom and hug her from behind, pressing a kiss to her cheek. The two of them would walk to campus together, parting ways when they reached Alex’s science building. Kelley would go off to one of the writing labs and come back to pick Alex up at the end of their school days._

_They were both content with their lives. They felt no need to rush the relationship; they had done enough of that in the beginning. Sleeping together for two weeks before even going on their first date. Kelley had told Alex she loved her after a month and a half of dating, something the younger girl reciprocated very quickly. Practically living together for most of their relationship. Alex saw a very real future with the older girl, possibly one leading to marriage. She was still young, only nineteen, and Kelley was only twenty. She knew the older girl didn’t want to get married before graduating, and that she would prefer to get married after grad school._

_But Alex also knew she was not going to wait around forever. She did not necessarily want to get married while still in school either, but she would be okay with getting engaged during her undergrad. She had tried to make that known to the older girl without blatantly stating it. She was fairly sure Kelley had gotten the hint by this point. At least, she hoped so._

* * *

She was leaning against the car, waiting for her girlfriend to make an appearance. She had sent a text fifteen minutes ago, letting her know she had deplaned and was heading to baggage claim for her checked bag. She was sipping her own coffee and holding Kelley’s in her other hand, scanning the crowd for the older girl. Finally, she saw the backward baseball cap and sunglasses she had been missing these last few days moving through the crowd. Pushing off the car, she smiles at her girlfriend and hands her the coffee. The older girl drops her bag and pulls her into a hug, burying her face in the younger girl’s neck.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too, love.”

Kelley eventually lets go of her and grabs her bag, tossing it in the back seat. They get in the car, Alex in the driver’s seat, and pull out of the lot. She fiddles with the volume knob on the radio, turning it down slightly so she can hear the hazel-eyed girl talk about her break and her family, dropping her hand to Kelley’s thigh after doing so. The older girl keeps rambling about how her sister and brother both gave her a hard time for coming home instead of staying in New York with Alex. They sit at a red light and the younger girl takes the opportunity to look at her girlfriend, a smile on her face as she does so.

“Where are we going? This isn’t the way home,” the older girl is confused and it makes Alex want to kiss her silly. She doesn’t though; she merely hums in response and continues driving when the light turns green. They reach the park soon and Alex swears she falls even more in love when Kelley’s eyes light up like a kid’s on Christmas. Reaching into the back, she grabs a soccer ball and the two walk to a relatively vacant patch of grass to play.

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

“Hm, I may need a reminder,” the younger girl says and Kelley smirks before responding.

“Just wait ‘til we get home, babe. I’ll make sure you don’t forget.”

“Is that a promise, O’Hara?” Alex raises an eyebrow teasingly as her girlfriend flicks the ball up and catches it.

“Why don’t we go find out, Morgan?”

It’s a race back to the car, both of them giggling like teenagers when they get in and start the journey home. Kelley does everything in her power to make Alex squirm during their fifteen-minute drive and there is a smirk plastered on her face the entire time. Alex, being the driver, can only do so much, but she does what she can to work her girlfriend up. By the time they get back to the apartment, they are both overwhelmingly hot and bothered. They speed up the stairs and when they reach the top, Alex pushes Kelley against the door and kisses her harder than she had in a while. They hadn’t had any time for anything lately, both caught up with exams and other work. They stumble through the doorway, neither noticing the two other couples sitting in the living room until Allie clears her throat.

“Damn, Al. I know you missed your girlfriend, but her friends missed her too,” the blonde teases as the couple separates, their faces identical shades of red. Allie stands and pulls Bati with her, heading for the door. Christen and Tobin quickly follow suit, following the other couple to the doorway.

“Don’t get us a noise complaint, but have fun! No sex on the couch,” the blonde calls over her shoulder as they leave. The door closes and Kelley glances at her girlfriend, feeling like the mood has been ruined by their friends, but the look in Alex’s eyes said otherwise.

“You’re not getting out of this, darling. I’ve been waiting for this for, like, a month,” the younger girl kisses the older one, tugging at her bottom lip as she pulls away and winking as she walks towards Kelley’s bedroom. She laughs when the older girl follows, hot on her tail and picks her up, spinning her around before tossing her on the bed and climbing on top of her.

“I love you,” the blue-eyed girl breathes out.

“I know.”

Alex swats playfully at her girlfriend and rolls her eyes. Kelley leans down and kisses her softly, pulling away just enough to speak.

“I love you too.”


	2. All's Well That Ends Well to End Up With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue  
> All's well that ends well to end up with you  
> Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Lover by Taylor Swift
> 
> Suggested originally by @dm13 and adapted to become a part 2 to Got My Heartbeat Skipping Down 16th Avenue as suggested by @Thegirlwithnoname18

“Hey, babe are you ever gonna take down the Christmas lights?” Alex just groans, not bothering to move from her spot on the couch. 

“No, I don’t think I am. We can clean up after the new year.”

“Isn’t there like an unspoken rule to have them taken down by New Year’s?”

“Since when do you, Kelley ‘I play my own rules’ O’Hara, care about unspoken rules?” Alex is forced to look at Kelley when she stands in front of the tv.

“Since we’re hosting New Year’s this year,” is the response. Kelley is waiting for Alex to stand, but the younger woman is stubborn. 

“Babe, it’s our place. Therefore, we make the rules. Ergo, we don’t have to them down until we want to.” Kelley’s eyebrows raise slightly. “Did you just say ‘ergo’?”

“Yeah. So?” 

The older woman just shakes her head slightly, giving up on the lost battle. The younger had made a fair point and she knew there was no point in arguing with her.

She moves to take a seat next to her girlfriend, pulling the younger woman towards her. The two sit there, watching Law & Order reruns as the snow continues to fall outside. Well, more accurately, Alex watches the television while Kelley’s mind wanders. Her eyes are focused on the screen but her brain is taking in the younger woman pressed to her side.

Time had truly flown for the two, neither of them realizing just how fast it was going. Over the course of their five-year relationship, the two had made many memories and had watched other relationships rise and fall while theirs stood strong.

The older girl had received an opportunity to move to the west coast for grad school, but she had turned it down in favor of staying in New York with her girlfriend. Alex had offered to transfer to wherever Kelley went, or do long distance for her senior year before following the older one west. But the shorter brunette had declined the offer, telling the younger girl that she was perfectly happy in New York and that she didn’t want to uproot their lives.

So they stayed in New York. They were still living together, though now it was just the two of them. Christen and Tobin had moved to California for Christen’s master’s program, while Allie and Bati had gone to North Carolina. Meanwhile, Alex was preparing to graduate in the summer. She was hopeful another thing would come with her graduation - a proposal from her girlfriend. It was no secret her girlfriend had wanted to wait to propose until she had finished her own master’s degree, but that had been completed two years ago. She was hesitant to propose while Alex was still completing her degree; she wanted them both to have their feet underneath them and holding steady jobs before getting married.

She loved her girlfriend more than anything, there was no doubting that. But she still felt it wasn’t quite the right time for them to get married. She still felt too young, only twenty-five, to be getting married. She felt like she still had a lot of life to live, without feeling tied down by that big of a commitment. She also knew her girlfriend didn’t feel the same as her.

Alex had always wanted to get married by the time she was twenty-five, and she wanted a year-long engagement. This meant time was running out for Kelley to pop the question; the younger woman would be twenty-four in August and she still did not feel she was ready for that level of commitment. She had the feeling the younger one knew it too.

Kelley is pulled from her thoughts as the episode ends and she hears the beginning of a new one. Looking at the younger woman who has fallen asleep next to her, she presses a soft kiss to her girlfriend’s temple.

“I love you, Lex,” she whispers out before gently gathering the younger girl in her arms and carrying her to bed. She sets her on their bed and looks at her for a moment. She really does love the blue-eyed woman.

* * *

Kelley quietly slips out of the bedroom and heads for the kitchen. She passes their friends who are still passed out around the living room. Tobin and Christen are on the floor, wrapped around each other, while Allie and Bati are stretched out on the couch. Ashlyn and Ali had meant to crash in their guest room but had also crashed on the floor, next to Tobin and Christen. The brunette turns on the coffee maker before moving around the kitchen to grab supplies to begin making breakfast.

She glances out the window, taking in the bustling street below and the white flakes that fell around the pedestrians walking. She hears the bedroom door open and turns to see her girlfriend wandering out of the room and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The two make eye contact and the younger one gives a sleepy smile. Kelley feels her heart flutter as the blue-eyed girl makes her way to the kitchen and drops a kiss on the older girl’s cheek before pouring herself a cup of coffee. The younger girl placed her coffee on the counter and wrapped her arms around the older one from behind, sighing contently.

The two stand there for a moment as the eggs and pancakes cook until they hear someone speak up.

“Hey, lovebirds. You better not burn my breakfast cause you’re too busy making heart eyes at each other,” Allie wanders into the kitchen to pour two cups of coffee. As she moved to head back to the living room, where the rest of their friends were starting to wake up, the couple heard her mumble something about “that newlywed phase” and Kelley tenses slightly. She slips out of her girlfriend’s embrace, hoping she didn’t feel her tense up.

She loves her girlfriend, more than she has ever loved anyone. But the whole “marriage” talk still made her a little jumpy. The whole idea of committing to one person for the rest of her life seemed nice in theory, but she had seen a few too many bitter divorces in her life. It’s not that she didn’t have faith in her relationship, she was just terrified at the possibility of it ending.

The small sigh the younger woman gave when she slipped out of her arms let Kelley know that she had noticed the tenseness in her. The group sat around eating their food, none of them picking up on the new tension between the couple. Alex sat a little away from her, not touching or being close enough to her girlfriend for Kelley’s liking.

Finally, Alex stands and walks to their bedroom. Sighing, Kelley follows without being asked, knowing they would have to talk about this eventually. She had hoped to put it off for a little, intent on having a nice morning with their friends. She closes the door behind her and finds her girlfriend sitting on their bed, hands in her lap.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Kelley’s eyes open in disbelief and her heart skips a beat. She takes a step towards the bed and crouches down so she can look at her girlfriend properly.

“Why would you think that?”

The younger woman gives a small shrug and fiddles with her shirt. The older one waits patiently, knowing her girlfriend will speak when she finds the words she wants to say. Eventually, the younger one looks up, tears shining in her eyes. She takes a shaky breath before responding.

“You tensed earlier, in the kitchen. When Allie made that stupid comment about us being married. You always tense when someone mentions marriage, or being committed, or ‘locking it down’. Tell me I haven’t wasted five years here. Are you breaking up with me?” Alex’s voice increases in strength as she speaks, getting slightly louder.

“You haven’t wasted five years, Lex. I love you and I promise I am not breaking up with you,” she stands and rubs her face slightly before looking back to her girlfriend.

“How long have you been thinking about this?” Alex shrugs in response before standing herself. She moves to look out the window, refusing to look at the older woman.

“I don’t know, really. What I do know is you’ve been getting tenser these days whenever someone mentions marriage or we get invited to a wedding,” she turns to face her girlfriend, irritation now in her eyes. Kelley knows the blue-eyed girl is frustrated and that the clock is winding down.

“Al, come on. You know I love you. It’s just,” the older woman sighs, “you know I want to have my feet under me, steadily under me, before making that big of a commitment.”

“I do know that. I also know that you have had your feet steadily underneath you for the past year,” is the calm response.

“I just-Lex, I still feel really young.”

“You’re twenty-five. I’ll be twenty-four in six months.”

“Exactly! We’re still young. Why tie it down now?” Kelley immediately regrets her phrasing when she sees the anger flash in her girlfriend’s eyes.

“Why tie it down now?” Alex echoes back, taking a step forward. “I dunno, Kel. Maybe because I love you and you love me? Maybe to show our commitment to each other and our love? Maybe because I’ve known for about four years now that I want to spend the rest of my life with you?”

Her voice is rising again, frustration laced throughout as she continues to approach her girlfriend. Kelley is rooted in place, her heart pounding and mind spinning as she attempts to find the right words to say.

“Lex-”

“You need to figure out what you want, Kelley. Because I already know what I want, and I’m not going to wait forever for you to find out for yourself whatever it is you want.”

Alex moves around her and leaves their bedroom. She hears the front door open and close and lets out a sigh, still frozen in her spot. Hanging her head, she walks out of the room to find an empty apartment. She has no idea when their friends left but a glance at her phone tells her they’ve been gone for a while. Allie and Christen had both texted her to let her know they were all leaving and they hoped the couple worked out whatever needed working out.

She debates calling her girlfriend, but then catches sight of the younger woman’s phone on the counter. Groaning slightly, she collapses on the couch. Now she has no way of reaching her girlfriend. Hell, she’s not even sure she has a girlfriend at the moment. Deciding she cannot just sit around and wait for the possibility of Alex coming back, she stands and grabs her coat before heading out to brave the snow and find the younger woman.

As she walks the cold streets, hands stuffed in her pockets, her mind is split between worrying about finding Alex and contemplating exactly what was keeping her from giving the younger woman what she wanted, what she deserved. She passes a jewelry store and her steps falter as she takes a glance inside. The thought of stepping inside no longer makes her feel like she is going to be sick, but there is still a slight uneasiness to it. Shaking her head, she continues down the street.

She thinks about their friends, all of whom are engaged or married. Christen and Tobin were getting married in May, right after Christen’s graduation, Allie and Bati had tied the knot almost a year and a half ago, and Ashlyn had just proposed to Ali at Christmas. She thinks about her younger brother who was getting ready to propose to his girlfriend and Alex’s sister, Jeni, who is married and has a daughter. Meanwhile, the two of them seemed to be stuck in limbo due to Kelley’s feelings of not being ready for marriage.

Deciding to focus solely on finding her girlfriend, she pulls her thoughts together to think about where the younger woman could possibly be. Then it clicks - the park. Of course, the younger woman will be at the park. It’s where she likes to go to clear her head, usually with a soccer ball in tow. Kelley turns down the street and begins backtracking towards the park. When she arrives, she scans the area for the blue-eyed girl. She spots a familiar knitted cap and slowly approaches.

“Alex?”

“What do you want, Kelley?” The younger woman doesn’t turn around and her voice sounds tired.

“Come home, Lex. Please,” she speaks softly, hoping the blue-eyed woman will comply. The taller brunette turns then, unshed tears in her eyes again. The older woman’s heart twists and she feels the breath leave her lungs.

Taking a small step forward, she slowly reaches a hand towards the younger one. The blue-eyed woman looks at her hand for a moment before hesitantly taking her hand. Kelley slowly takes another step forward.

“I love you, Al. I love you more than anything in the whole world. And I want to spend my whole life with you. I’m so in love with you; the thought of losing you makes me sick. I don’t ever want to be without you,” her thumb rubs the back of Alex’s hand as she speaks.

“Why won’t you marry me then?”

“Lex, please. Come home; we can talk about it there.”

“I wanna talk about it now.”

“Seriously, Alex? It’s below freezing. Come in out of the snow. Please,” she pulls slightly at the younger woman and takes a step backward. The younger woman doesn’t budge.

“Not until you answer me,” the older woman sighs.

“I will marry you, Lex,” she insists, “when the time is right.”

“And when will that be?”

“Whenever you want, dear.”

“Kelley Maureen, I know you did not just pull ‘whatever you want, dear’ to get me to drop this. This is serious to me!” Alex is visibly agitated and tries to take her hand back from the older woman, but she doesn’t let go.

“I know, Lex,” the shorter brunette spoke softly, “and if it’s important to you, it’s important to me.”

The younger woman sniffles slightly before replying.

“Promise?”

“With my whole heart. I will marry you. Someday.”

* * *

The snow is falling back home in New York, but the weather is beautiful in California. When Alex had requested a beach wedding, Kelley figured it was the least she could do after taking so long to pop the question. Five months after their New Year’s talk in the snow, the older woman had finally gotten down on one knee after Alex’s graduation and asked the younger one to spend the rest of their lives together.

They decided to be married on New Year’s Day since it held an important significance to the couple. Their friends and family all traveled to the west coast to be there for them on their big day. The two of them tied the knot surrounded by those who loved them most and had a beautiful reception before leaving to spend their honeymoon in Hawaii.

* * *

“Hawaii is beautiful this time of year.”

“Hawaii is always beautiful. But nowhere near as beautiful as you.” Kelley presses a kiss to her new bride’s cheek as the younger woman’s cheeks flush red and she rolls her eyes playfully. After checking into their hotel, the newlyweds hit the beach to work on their tans and spend time in the water.

“Don’t forget we have dinner reservations at the hotel restaurant for six o’clock.”

“What time is it now?”

The younger woman hums, checking her phone.

“It’s almost three. We should probably leave around four. That’ll put us back at the hotel by four-thirty, giving us an hour and a half to get ready and get downstairs in time for our reservations.”

Kelley smirks, looking at her wife.

“If we leave at three-thirty, we’ll be back at four.”

“Yes, Kel, that is how time works,” Alex teases her.

“And,” Kelley presses a kiss to the blue-eyed woman’s neck, “that gives us an extra half hour to break in the bed in our hotel room.” The younger woman’s breath hitches slightly and she can feel the older one smirking into her neck.

The hazel-eyed woman stands and smiles innocently at her wife. “Wanna catch some waves?”

“We could,” she speaks slowly, “or we could go back to the hotel now. Give us an hour to break in the bed, instead of only thirty minutes.”

The two move quickly to pack their things and get back to the hotel to “get down to business” as Kelley so eloquently put it.

They miss their dinner reservations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to have this up yesterday, but was busy with family. Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Next up: a fic based on a song by Apocalyptica!
> 
> Drop a song suggestion below or feel free to come yell at me on Tumblr @closetbidisaster

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Up next: another Taylor Swift fic!
> 
> Drop a song suggestion and I'll add it to my list; all genres welcome!
> 
> Come yell at me on Tumblr @closetbidisaster


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